


Umgekehrt

by Sternstunde



Series: Umgekehrt [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Gen, Some other character mentions, Written for something on tumblr, kinda a reverse au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 11:48:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11485776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sternstunde/pseuds/Sternstunde
Summary: It’s when Edward pats his head, and tells him, “Good job, Roy” that he realizes why exactly he was placed under Edward’s care (after all he went through it all, and would know how to handle Roy, with his young age).-In which Ed is the colonel and Roy the subordinate.





	Umgekehrt

He remembers his teacher’s unforgiving, cold words and instructions. His passion and hate for alchemy and the military.

This isn’t the correct decision, he knows.

But he also remembers a woman with blond hair, that cooked him meals, listened to what he had to tell, despite being a mere child. How she would pat his head and make sure he had a break in between his whole studying.

And when he thinks of her burnt back, and the ashes that used to be a mansion, he knows it’s the best choice he could make.

That’s why he accepts the offer from the man with the golden hair.

 

* * *

 

“You passed.” Are the first words, which Roy hears once he enters the office.

He smirks arrogantly at the man behind the desk. He knew he would pass, after all his fire alchemy is rare, and people in the military wouldn’t pass the chance to use him for their own, just like the man behind the desk.

“Though they gave you a rather ironic name, if I might say so.”

With these words the colonel hands him an envelope, and Roy opens it, a bit curious as to what is written on its content.

“… Flame Alchemist?”

“Mhm,” the other nods, and then tales out a box from one of the desk’s drawers. He opens it and a silver watch lays in it.

“Congratulations, Flame. You are now a dog of the military.”

Roy likes to pretend he understands the bittersweet smile, Colonel Edward Elric wore on that day.

* * *

 

The first thing he does after getting his watch and being dismissed, is to go to his aunt’s brothel and talk with Riza, who spends a lot of time nowadays waiting there for him.

He shows her the watch and he wants to tell her about the colonel’s words, but then he notices her rather tired expression and decides to talk about dogs, because they are awesome.

And not because it makes the woman, who is like a big sister to him, smile. _Definitely not._

* * *

 

Roy learns fast, that Colonel Elric is not an usual military member. He doesn’t care about ranks, and he doesn’t play nice. Though whenever he comments how rude the colonel is with his underhanded insults, Havoc or Breda laugh at him and Falman smirks. Even Fuery finds Roy’s words hilarious somehow.

Once he asks them why they are laughing. He doesn’t expect the answer he gets.

“Because,” Havoc says, taking a cigarette out, “Boss used to directly insult people in his earlier years.”

It’s the first time he looks at Colonel Elric and wonders. Wonders what else he doesn’t know.

He finds out, that there’s a _shitton_ of things he doesn’t know about his commanding officer.

 

* * *

 

At first Roy only joined the military, to protect Riza and himself from any kind of harm. After all, for all he knew, Elric could have told the authorities about Roy and his alchemy.

But slowly, he realizes that Edward Eric isn’t that kind of person and he starts to try and learn about his commanding officer.

Edward Elric is that kind of person, who always has bags under his eyes and looks tired, but never seems to sleep or take naps.

Edward Elric is that kind of person, who teases him countless, but pats his head whenever he does a mission well and even buys him (and the others in the office) something to eat occasionally.

Edward Elric is that kind of person, who takes cats into to the office when it rains, and ignores everyone’s looks, as said cats climb on him, when he does his paperwork.

Roy doesn’t get Edward Elric, not anymore.

 

* * *

 

After a while of being in the military, Roy takes interest in the legends and tales of the Philosopher’s stone. And with it, human transmutation. He knows it’s wrong and he doesn’t plan to try it (even though it’s _so, so tempting_ ). So, he goes and tells the colonel about it.

For some minutes it’s silent, but then Elric looks up, directly into his eyes, and Roy can see thousands of things in those rare golden eyes, but he doesn’t understand a thing about it.

“You… you don’t plan on doing it?”

Roy wants to scoff and say, _“Who do you think I am? Of course not!”_ But when he looks into those eyes, something in his aches and he feels guilty for asking. There is an aura of sadness around the colonel and it’s breaking Roy, piece for piece.

“No, sir… it’s really only for the Philosopher’s stone.”

The colonel only looks at him for some minutes more, before he stares away and sighs (he sounds _so, so old_ , and it’s not the first time Roy wonders how old the other is. He might be short, but he’s a colonel).

“Ok… I might be able to help you.”

And that’s how Roy meets Shou Tucker and Nina Tucker.

 

* * *

 

One day, when it’s late and the officers go home, Roy sees how the colonel doesn’t move to pack his things as well.

“Colonel?”

“I’m staying behind, Flame.”

And Roy is surprised. Doesn’t the colonel need to rest as well? Isn’t his family waiting for him. He asks him that, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“I won’t catch sleep anyway and my family lives a bit far away.”

“Far away? Where?”

“Resembool.”

As Roy leaves the office he wonders.

The next morning, he comes earlier in than the others and he sees the colonel sitting on a couch drinking… milk. Though the look he gives the milk, brings up a new question.

“Do you even like milk?”

“No.” Comes the immediate answer.

“Why are you drinking it then?”

“… In the hope that I grow healthy.”

“… I doubt that. Everyone tells me you have always been this short. That’s probably not going to change.” But even as Roy says those words to the other, he knows that the colonel didn’t mean it like that.

“…Brat.”

 

* * *

 

He still can’t believe a father would do that to his own daughter, but here is, standing before Tucker’s mansion, surrounded by military officers talking about two dead bodies. A chimera and a human.

Roy can’t bring himself to cry, he already did that, and now he’s just tired. Then he hears footsteps, and turns around to look at the colonel standing before him, tired eyes like always (a bit more tired than usual) and staring at Roy.

Roy wants to say something – no, to scream, _to_ _shout_ at that colonel. They could have helped her somehow, he was sure of it. But then the colonel steps nearer to him, and lays a hand on the back of his head and pulls Roy into a hug.

And Roy remembers – on the first day he saw Nina outside the mansion. He remembers how she ran at the colonel who caught her and spun her around in the air and smiled at her.

He also remembers how on some days, the colonel would be getting him for his drive home, instead of Havoc and suddenly Roy understands Edward Elric a bit better.

The colonel doesn’t want this either, wants to grieve as well – but here he is, cheering Roy up instead.

 

* * *

 

The colonel always knows what Roy is doing, where he is and where he hides, so that he won’t have to write his reports – it’s irritating, but he is curious as well.

How does he know that all?

He asks the others, but no one has an idea – with the exception of one person.

Maes Hughes, a member of the Investigations Office and apparently (if he believes everyone else of Elric’s team) the colonel's… _caretaker?_

“Do you know what they call Ed on the streets?”

Roy shakes his head.

“The People’s Alchemist – and that’s where he gets his information.”

Roy’s eyes widen as he realizes what Hughes just said. The people… but people don’t like the military. That’s what he tells Hughes.

“Ed doesn’t like the military as well. Ah, you should have seen him in his first years. You wouldn’t believe it – oh, wait! I think I have a photo with me!”

And Roy doesn’t know what he excepts, but it’s definitely not the young boy with the red coat and his hair worn in a braid, standing beside a huge-ass armor.

_Red coat. Braid. Unbelievable eye color. Armor._

_Fullmetal Alchemist_ , his mind whispers, but that can’t be – because that’s a little boy matching the description there. Younger than him, with his fifteen years.

“Hughes… how old was the colonel then?”

“He was 12, that’s the year he joined.”

Three years younger than himself, Roy realizes (now he _really_ understands the bittersweet smile on his first day).

“And… now?”

“19, Edward is 19, Roy.”

And his heart is beating faster – and this doesn’t make sense.

“B-but… he is a colonel…”

“Yeah, and he was major when he was 12 – there was a war, Roy.”

Hughes’ words are spoken soft and Roy, for the first time, really sees the colonel behind that desk, in that little office and he _wonders._

* * *

 

Roy snips his fingers and creates fire.

Roy helps people.

Roy _saves_ people.

And they start to whisper and mutter things like, “Another People’s Alchemist!!” or “Just like Edward!”

He only looks away, and doesn’t react (his mind is filled with thoughts of 12 years old kid standing in his place).

And one day – it’s unexpected – he doesn’t know what to do. It’s raining and he obviously can’t use his gloves. For a moment he worries, but then he hears the opening of doors and looks behind him, where Havoc’s car stands. Edward and the car’s owner step out and walk to him.

It’s when Edward pats his head, and tells him, “Good job, Roy” that he realizes why exactly he was placed under Edward’s care (after all he went through it all, and would know how to handle Roy, with his young age).

It’s when Edward shields him, with standing before him, that Roy meets the Fullmetal Alchemist for the first time.

He only needs to clap – _to clap_ – and buildings and ground move.

It’s pure destruction and in the middle, stands a short man with golden hair, golden eyes and an arm made out of metal.

Suddenly, Roy doesn’t find it that hard to believe that Edward is colonel with only 19 years old anymore.

He tells that Riza and his aunt.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm thinking about writing an actual fic about this... I do have ideas.
> 
> Title is German for "reversed".


End file.
